Monday, April 23, 2007

College Leadership What?

A professor at a small college asked the professor's spouse, "So what does one do on the college leadership council?" The spouse had no idea, and could not figure out why the professor was asking. The professor was asking, it turns out, because the spouse was a nominee on the ballots distributed to all the faculty today. This alarmed the spouse, because the spouse had only been at the college a few months and did not feel qualified to sit on something as important as the college leadership council. However, the alarm only grew when the spouse found out that not only was the spouse a candidate on the ballot, but was in fact the only candidate on the ballot and that election to the college leadership council is for a three year term.

If you know anyone at the small college in question, you might encourage them to consider a write-in candidate.

7 comments:

Irene said...

I dunno, it sounds ominous.

Sparkling Squirrel said...

Department chair swears he had nothing to do with the nomination (and supports the spouse's candidacy). Apparently it was mentioned at the faculty senate last week that spouse was only candidate, but nobody thought to tell spouse this because everyone assumed that the nominator had asked if spouse wanted to serve.

Debbie said...

How about writing in the spouse's spouse?

Erin said...

SS,
Have you read "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith? It is a great novel with some funny scenes that illuminate the politics at a small college. Any future college leader would probably get a kick out of it.

Sparkling Squirrel said...

Erin, I haven't but I will look it up. I very highly recommend Richard Russo's Straight Man as just a funny novel and great insight into small college politics. I like it much much better than his pulitzer winning Empire Fall.

Anonymous said...

"How about writing in the spouse's spouse?"

Actually, I'm not sure I am eligible as an officially "visiting" instructor.

In any case, I'd rather avoid that "service", despite the possible benefits towards tenure.

Beth said...

the other thing to find out with college committees is if they ever meet. it may not be ominous just badly defined.